Timothy Spangler: Tough sledding for Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, is briefed on preparations in and around the Black Sea resort of Sochi, southern Russia, Feb. 6. The area will host the 2014 Winter Olympics. ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

As Britain continues to enjoy the publicity bump from its 2012 Summer Olympics, Russia appears to be facing serious obstacles in its delivery of a successful Winter Olympics, now less than one year away. President Vladimir Putin has put his personal reputation behind staging the upcoming Games in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, where he owns a vacation home. Unfortunately, challenges are mounting on all fronts.

This issue is not a reluctance to spend money. On the contrary, these Games will be the most expensive ever staged, summer or winter. Current estimates have Russia spending almost $50 billion. By comparison, the 2008 Beijing Games cost approximately $40 billion. Britain got away with hosting its "austerity Games" in London for a mere $12 billion. The most expensive Winter Games prior to Sochi were in Nagano, Japan, in 1998, which cost about $17 billion.

The problems lie elsewhere, although Putin demanded a few days ago that a senior member of the Russian Olympic Committee be fired, apparently because of the cost overruns. To begin with, there is the weather. Surprisingly, it doesn't actually get that cold in Sochi during the winter. With an average temperature of about 50 degrees Fahrenheit during the colder months, Sochi will eventually be connected to nearby ski resorts by high-speed trains. However, organizers are still planning to deploy more than 400 snow-making machines to coat surfaces with the precipitation essential for most of the sports on display.

Then, there is Sochi's inconvenient location, near "hot spots" like Chechnya. Terrorists were reportedly caught near Sochi last year with surface-to-air missiles, so the risks of political violence are quite real. Much work is being done to ensure that Islamist extremists based nearby will not see the Sochi Games as an appealing target.

Of course, the typical drama of unmet deadlines, accusations of corruption and the uncalculated risks of environmental damages that accompany any grand project, like hosting an Olympics, are also circling around Sochi. The transformation contemplated for this region is massive, and Putin is sparing no expense to make this vision a reality, regardless of the immediate or long-term consequences.

If Russia's first Winter Games were to be a failure, the backlash against Putin could be severe. He visited the Sochi this week to combat recent rumblings of negativity. As residents wrestle with the daily inconveniences of living in a giant construction site, the pressing question has become, exactly what sort of legacy the Sochi Olympics will bring Russia.

In part, the legacy will be driven by what use (if any) will be made of the many new facilities and transit links going forward. Interestingly, Sochi's future may lie not as a winter sports hub, but instead as home of other sporting endeavors, such as auto racing. Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone is being courted by Putin to bring a grand prix race to Sochi next year. The 2018 World Cup will also bring soccer fans from around the world to Russia, and Sochi will play an important role in making that tournament a success, despite the controversy that surrounded Russia's original appointment as host.

Even if Sochi does not immediately become the post-Games Russian skiing destination of choice, Putin has demonstrated a willingness to sell Sochi as an ideal location for international political summits and other high-profile gatherings. With good transport links, loads of international hotels and plenty of fine dining and after-hours night spots, Sochi is slowly gaining all of the necessary ingredients for success as a 21st Century conference destination.

Recent Olympics have not been kind to Russia, particularly in light of the long tradition of Soviet sporting success that preceded Putin. Unfortunately, the medal tally from both London and the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games did not flatter Russia. Expectations are high that Russia will return to its historical form in Sochi, adding even more pressure on Putin to deliver a successful Games.

To Putin, sporting success is a key element of Russian national identity. He has stressed the need to expand sports funding and sports institutions that focus on young children. The Soviets stressed the redemptive and curative value of sports for a weary, but striving, proletariat. Putin, a product of that era, has clearly internalized this view. His own success in judo was a key element in his personal development.

The Cold War is long over, but one of its manifestations, the demonstration of sporting prowess, remains an important element in projecting national prestige on a global scale. Britain came out of the London Games with a tremendous boost to its "brand." Brazil's success at soccer, New Zealand's accomplishments on the rugby pitch and Canadian prowess in ice hockey infuse the image of these countries held by neutral observers.

Putin understands that national pride is a very important asset that must maintained and nurtured over time. By putting so much of his personal reputation behind Russia's hosting of the next Winter Games, Putin needs Sochi to be a clear success, not only in the eyes of his countrymen, but also in the eyes of the world.

Should the Sochi Games fail to deliver, Putin, as its biggest cheerleader, will have a lot of explaining to do.

Writer and attorney Timothy Spangler divides his time between Orange County and the United Kingdom.

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